Trainer Mapping Guide

BSBWHS616 Apply Safe Design Principles to Control WHS Risks

Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to apply safe design principles to control work health
and safety (WHS) risks in a product’s life cycle. It involves engaging at different points of the supply chain
to provide advice based on safe design principles. The central feature of safe design is the application of
relevant information and data about human experience, capabilities and behaviour to the design of
objects, facilities, procedures and environments that people use.
The unit applies to those who apply the principles of safe design in their organisation, which may be at
one or more stages of the product’s life cycle, including procurement, installation, operation and disposal.
Products may refer to plant, tools and equipment. The application of safe design principles aims to
eliminate or minimise hazards and their associated risks before an existing product, or a product being
developed or modified, is introduced into the workplace.

Notes
1. The terms ‘occupational health and safety’ (OHS) and ‘work health and safety’ (WHS) are equivalent,
and generally either can be used in the workplace. In jurisdictions where model WHS laws have not
been implemented, registered training organisations (RTOs) are advised to contextualise this unit of
competency by referring to existing WHS legislative requirements.
2. For the purposes of this unit of competency ‘safe design’ refers to a process defined as the
integration of hazard identification and risk assessment methods to eliminate or minimise the risk of
injury throughout the life cycle of plant, tool or equipment being designed.
3. For the purposes of this unit of competency a ‘product’ refers to any plant, tool or equipment.
4. The model WHS laws include the model WHS Act, model WHS Regulations and model WHS Codes
of Practice. See Safe Work Australia for further information.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Elements and Performance Criteria

Element Performance criteria Covered in

1 Advise on WHS 1.1 Advise decision-makers of their duties under T1

principles that support WHS laws to manage WHS risks throughout a
safe design product’s life cycle

1.2 Source and make available to decision-makers T1

the most current information and data on WHS
principles, materials, technology and systems
that apply to product design

1.3 Advise on methods and tools that can support T1

WHS hazard identification and WHS risk
assessment throughout a product’s life cycle

1.4 Identify and address learning and development T1

needs of decision-makers to manage WHS
risks that may arise during a product’s life

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Element Performance criteria Covered in

cycle, including during its design phase

1.5 Advise on consultation with known and/or T1 T3

potential users of the product during the design
phase, according to organisational policies and
procedures

1.6 Identify situations where specialist and other T1

advisers may be required to support safe
design activities

2 Advise on systematic 2.1 Advise on selection and implementation of T2

approach to WHS risk required WHS risk controls in design, based on
management for safe the hierarchy of control measures
design
2.2 Advise on documentation requirements relating T2
to decision-making during risk assessment
process

2.3 Advise on establishment of a residual WHS T2

risk register and distribution of this information
to those involved in downstream or subsequent
product life-cycle stages

2.4 Advise on monitoring the design as it evolves, T2

to identify and manage potential WHS hazards
that may arise during product life cycle and
their associated risks

2.5 Identify and address learning and development T1

needs of decision-makers in relation to
managing design-related WHS risks in a
product’s life cycle

3 Advise on consultation 3.1 Support decision-makers in considering the T3

processes in product’s needs of those using or interacting with
life cycle product throughout its life cycle

3.2 Facilitate involvement of technical experts as T3

required according to organisational processes
and procedures

3.3 Advise on consultation arrangements with T3

required personnel during all phases of design
process to identify WHS hazards and control
WHS risks that may occur throughout a
product’s life cycle

3.4 Advise on communicating residual WHS risks T3

in product to those who will use or interact with
the product throughout its life cycle

4 Advise on 4.1 Advise decision-makers involved in purchasing T2

and contractual arrangements to include

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 Element Performance criteria Covered in

procurement systems requirements to identify WHS hazards and

to minimise control WHS risks, and to provide information
‘purchased’ WHS and data on residual WHS risks as part of
procurement process
hazards and their
associated risks
4.2 Advise on including a requirement to carry out T2
a safe design approach in the design brief or
draft specifications

Foundation skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to
performance but not explicit in the performance criteria.

Skills Description Covered in

Reading  Identifies, interprets and analyses legislative T1

and organisational texts relevant to safe design

Writing  Develops advice and recommendations about T1 T2 T3

safe design, matching style of writing to
purpose and audience

Oral communication  Presents information and advice using T1 T2 T3

language appropriate to audience

 Uses questioning and active listening to seek T2

information and confirm understanding

Numeracy  Selects from and applies a range of T2

mathematical strategies to interpret and
analyse mathematical information embedded
in a range of texts

 Applies mathematical processes to assess risk T2

levels

 Uses oral and written mathematical language T2

and representation to communicate advice on
WHS risk management in safe product design

Navigate the world of work  Applies legal responsibilities to WHS product T1 T2 T3

design compliance contexts

 Keeps up to date on changes to WHS laws T1

relevant to own role and responsibilities, and
considers their implications when advising on
compliance in relation to product design

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Skills Description Covered in

Interact with others  Actively identifies requirements of T1 T2

communication exchanges, selecting
appropriate channels, format, tone and content
to suit purpose and audience

 Monitors impact of communication exchanges T1 T2

when providing advice that relates to safe
design

 Collaborates with others to achieve joint T1 T2 T3

outcomes, playing an active role in facilitating
effective group interaction, influencing direction
and taking a leadership role

Get the work done  Uses logical planning processes and T1 T2 T3

understanding of context to organise training
and identify specialist needs

 Uses systematic and analytical processes in T1 T2 T3

complex, non-routine situations: sets goals,
gathers relevant information, identifies and
evaluates options against agreed criteria, and
seeks input and advice from others before
taking necessary action

 Identifies the potential of new approaches to T1 T2 T3

product life-cycle risk management to enhance
safe design work practices and outcomes

 Uses digital systems and tools to access, T1 T2 T3

record, organise, analyse, display and share
information

Performance evidence

The candidate must demonstrate the ability to complete the tasks outlined in the Covered in the
elements, performance criteria and foundation skills of this unit, and to: following tasks
and assessment.

 apply safe design principles to control work health and safety (WHS) risks T1 T2 T3
that may occur throughout the life cycle of at least two different products.

During the above, the candidate must:

 provide advice based on WHS legislative requirements and safe design

principles in relation to:

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The candidate must demonstrate the ability to complete the tasks outlined in the Covered in the
elements, performance criteria and foundation skills of this unit, and to: following tasks
and assessment.

 developing a systematic WHS risk-management approach to safe design T1

 consultation processes relating to safe design in a product’s life cycle T3

 procurement systems to minimise ‘purchased’ WHS hazards and their T2

associated risks.

Knowledge evidence

The candidate must demonstrate the knowledge to complete the tasks outlined in Covered in
the elements, performance criteria and foundation skills of this unit. This includes
knowledge of:

 commonwealth and state/territory WHS laws, publications and guidelines T1

relating to consultation, participation and safe design, including:
o Safe Work Australia codes of practice and guidance information that
relate to safe design

o requirements for managing WHS risks and implementing controls at T1 T2 T3

each life-cycle stage of a product

o requirements relating to consultation processes T2

o legislative duties of persons conducting a business or undertaking T1 T2 T3

(PCBUs) or officers who are designers or are responsible for safe design
processes

 factors involved in selecting WHS risk controls for product design, including: T2

o ensuring that level and reliability of risk control is commensurate with

likelihood and impact of risk

o impact on safety of alterations to product during its life T2

o minimising impact of possible failure or defect by ensuring controls T2

include fail-safe action

o WHS principles, materials, technology and systems that apply to product T2

design

 internal and external sources of WHS information and data, and procedures T1
for accessing them

 human cognitive and perceptual capabilities and other basic factors relevant T1
to the safe design of products in the performance evidence

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 The candidate must demonstrate the knowledge to complete the tasks outlined in Covered in
the elements, performance criteria and foundation skills of this unit. This includes
knowledge of:

 factors affecting safe design, including work-related psychosocial factors, T1

occupational violence, shift work, repetitive work, awkward postures, lighting,
thermal environment and work layout

 principles of anthropometry and biomechanics as they relate to safe design T2

principles to control WHS risks

 communication and consultation processes, and key personnel related to T2 T3

communication

 hierarchy of control measures and criteria for choosing between different T2

WHS risk controls

 key personnel, including change agents, within workplace management T1 T2 T3

structure

 legal liability in relation to providing advice T1 T2

 organisational behaviour and culture as they impact on WHS, and on change T1

 WHS risk management and the principles and practices of a systematic T2

approach to WHS management.

Assessment conditions

Assessment must comply with WHS laws, legal responsibilities and duty of care Assessed in
required for this unit. It must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence assessment tasks.
gathered demonstrates consistent performance of typical activities undertaken by
individuals carrying out WHS duties in the workplace, and must include access to:

 reports from other parties consulted about WHS risk in a product’s life cycle

 legislation, standards, guidelines, research and industry data required to

demonstrate the performance evidence

 case studies and, where possible, real situations

 opportunities for interaction with others.

Assessors of this unit must satisfy the assessor requirements in applicable vocational education and
training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.

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